Two Years Later
by insanehpluver
Summary: Harry Potter left almost immediately after graduating with his best friends. Now, two years later, he reenters Hermione Granger's life and turns it upsidedown.
1. Chapter 1 : A Surprise Attack

Two Years Later

What if? What if, what if, what if? The question had bugged Hermione Granger all day. She reread the letter from one of her best friends, Ron Weasley. It only said that he would meet her in front of her house at 6:30 PM that evening. Apparently, there was something important he had to tell her; otherwise he would have just waited until the next week when they would meet at the Three Broomsticks to talk. She suddenly dashed to her bedroom, wanting to find the perfect thing to wear. Normally, nineteen-year-old Hermione Granger would have not cared very much about her appearance, as the only people she came in contact with were her best friend Ron and her boss, Maddie Angress, at her job at Angress's Magical Supplies, where she had a job as a store clerk in the very busy store.

"Hmm," she said to herself. "How about the—no, not that. Looks like I really primped up for it and besides, it could just be he made the Britain Quidditch team. It's not like Harry would be there—after he's been in Auror training. Hmm, let's see….Aha! This one is good." It was a blue velvety skirt, with a black top, and tiny beads. She jumped into the shower to make herself feel cleaner and better.

After the shower, she put on her outfit and looked at herself in the floor-length mirror that gave compliments, not insults like the one the Weasleys had. "You look great, honey," it told her. "Thanks," she replied. "Okay. I'm ready." She breathed in and out deeply as she stepped outside. The kitchen clock said 6:29.

She sat lady-like on the stone wall outside her one-story house in Hogsmeade. In the distance, she spotted Ron's famous red hair. Hermione leapt up and ran towards him.

"Oof!" he grunted. "Good to see you too, Hermione. But I thought I said outside your house." Hermione grinned up at her best friend, who she had not seen for almost two years. He awkwardly stepped away from her and led her off back to her home.

"So, Ron," Hermione started. "What is so important you had to see me a week early?" Ron pulled her into her house and slammed the door.

"Wha-??" Hermione asked, clueless.

"OK: I got onto the team," Hermione cheered. "But when I went by Harry's office to tell him, he wasn't there." Hermione frowned. "Yeah, I know, not odd at all. But I asked one of his colleagues where he might be, and they said they had no idea; he went on vacation to Ireland and isn't back yet." Hermione frowned even deeper.

"So?" she asked.

"So…..He's missing!" Ron exclaimed. "No one has seen him for ages! No one knows where he is! Can't you see?!?!?" Hermione sighed, and then said, "Yeah, I see where you're coming from. I just think we should ask someone…." She went over to the fireplace and took some Floo Powder from a jar on the mantelpiece. "OK, Ron, just come with me to the Ministry," she said. Ron nodded. She wondered why he jumped to conclusions so quickly, even when it was obvious there was a perfectly good reason for something. She shook her head mentally and said firmly as she threw Floo Powder at her feet: "The Ministry of Magic!" She spun around and around through fireplaces until she slowed down and threw her arms out to stop. She neatly stepped out of a fireplace in the very bury Atrium. Behind her, she heard Ron fall with a _thud_ out of the fireplace and rolled her eyes. She spun around and helped him up. She questioned him with her eyes and he shrugged. She rolled her eyes again. "Now let's go find Harry's boss."

"Yes, boss," Ron said, teasingly. Hermione just rolled her eyes_. I guess some things just don't change_, she thought. As they made their way through the halls to find the Auror offices, they started chatting about their lives after Hogwarts and reminiscing about their Hogwarts days. Hermione gasped and pointed to one specific poster on the wall. In their fifth year, it had accused Ron of having a ridiculous disease called Spattergroit. Its occupant appeared to be sleeping, but Ron turned beet red and pulled her along towards the office they were looking for.

Once inside, Hermione noticed the wealth that had had to go into such a rich-looking place: the walls were cream with black trim, the desks and the chairs all matched perfectly. There were many portraits on the walls; of former great Aurors, Hermione guessed.

"What do you want?" and annoyed voice shook her from her thoughts. She turned to see a grumpy-looking pudgy man with almost no hair. Ron decided to stare at his shoes. Hermione mentally rolled her eyes. _When are you ever going to grow up, Ron?_

"Erm—I'm trying to find a friend of mine—Harry Potter…..His colleagues said they didn't know where he was, so I was wondering if you could tell us…….." Before she finished her sentence Hermione knew it was no use. The man just glared at her until he said:

"I don't have time for you. You have no idea how busy I am, and I can't go off chasing some Auror who probably slacked of and stopped at a pub somewhere. Now, if you don't mind, I have work to do. Good-bye." Hermione frowned, but she just bid him farewell before leading Ron out of the office.

After dropping Ron off at his house, she decided to Apperate to the Three Broomsticks before going home. Inside, Hermione bought a cup of hot chocolate and sipped it, trying not to burn her tongue. She knew she should just use the Cooling Charm, but drinking it this way reminded her of her magic-less childhood.

After finishing her hot cocoa, she took a deep breath and plunged back out into the wet outdoors. The rain beat on her back, soaked her, and made her altogether miserable. _I wonder where he is. I hope he's okay. I _really_ hope he's alive…Oh, God, please keep him alive…_she worried about Harry. Hermione knew she shouldn't be so worried now that Harry was a grown man and a trained Auror, but she couldn't help it.

As Hermione made her way into the alley that was a shortcut to her house, she paused, unsure. Tonight, she felt uncomfortable going in the alley. Usually, she was too tired from a long day's work to care, but today the alley made her a tad wary. However, she couldn't stand in the rain all night, so she took a deep breath and hurried into the alley. Darkness enclosed her. She couldn't see a thing. "Lumos," she whispered, and the tip of her wand lit up. She started off again, but this time she went quieter, sure she heard footsteps behind her. She made a mad dash—almost there—she could see the lights of her neighbor's house—then, suddenly, someone grabbed her from behind. She shrieked, twisted, and fought, but the person would not let go.

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Do you like it? I have a few more chapters I think I'll post . . . Anyway, I'm sorry about the other stories--I promise I'll get back to them soon. )

Happy holidays, everyone!

-insanehpluver-


	2. Chapter 2 : Reunited Once Again

"Let go of me! Let go now!! Argh—LET ME GO!!!!" Hermione screamed.

"Hey—calm down—it's just me," a familiar voice said in her ear.

"Harry?" she gasped. He let go of her and pulled her into the light, where she could easily see the familiar twinkle in his brilliant green eyes. He took off his hat and Hermione's knees buckled. It was like his jet-black hair was the switch to make her stomach flip-flop. What was going on?

"Oh my gosh, I can't believe you're back! Where were you?!?" Harry grinned.

"I've been all over! It was so amazing! But I had to come back. Two years away from his best friends can really kill a guy," he replied, not giving the answers she wanted. "But, thanks for the great greeting!" He added, a laugh in his eyes.

"Well, I was defending myself. You scared me half to death, you know," she scolded, but she was smiling too. Harry folded her in his arms and hugged her really tight. Hermione could not remember him ever hugging her this tight, or anyone for that matter. She had no idea what to do, but her instincts told her to hug back, and she did.

"Harry?" she asked.

"Mm?"

"You want to go inside? It's kind of wet out here." Harry laughed and nodded. He let go of her and straightened out his robes. She started walking towards her house, and when she heard him following her, she laughed and broke out into a run. He caught up with her outside the door while she was fishing out her house key. She saw him reach up towards the gutter, and before she could react, he poured the whole thing onto her, drenching her to the bone. She shrieked "Harry James Potter!" He was speechless with laughter, holding onto the rail for support.

"That was for leaving me in the rain," he gasped out. She smiled and opened the door. She stepped inside and pulled him with her. He slammed the door behind them and grinned. "Come on, you have to admit that was pretty funny," he said. Of course it was funny. _What am I thinking? I am not one of those mad girls chasing after him and his smile!_ She scolded herself.

"Well, I am going to take a shower and change. If you want to, there's a guestroom down there" -she pointed down the corridor to the right- "and there's a bathroom attached. Make yourself at home." Harry nodded and saluted her.

"As Your Highness proclaims!" And without further ado, he marched off down the hallway to the shower, leaving a trail of water on the floor. Hermione sighed and performed a Drying Charm to clean it up before going to take her own shower.

"I can't believe it—Harry Potter! In my house! Oh my gosh!" she said to herself in the shower. "Okay, Hermione, calm down, he's your best friend, you can do this. Oh, Merlin, what about Ron? What will I say? When should I tell him?"

"How about you'll make me something to eat? I'm starving!" came a voice from behind the curtain.

"HARRY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY BATHROOM?!?!?!?!?" she yelled.

"Sorry! I saw the door open and I'm hungry! I'm so sorry, Mione!" She could see his silhouette on her shower curtain and sighed.

"Fine. I'll make dinner AFTER I take a shower. Besides, if you really can't wait, which I bet you can't, having known you forever practically, there's food in the cupboards." Harry laughed and left the bathroom, to the kitchen it seemed to Hermione. She sighed, knowing the next couple of weeks would be hard.

She got out of the shower and pulled on dry clothes. In the kitchen, she saw Harry tucking in to a huge plate of his favorite treacle tart.

"How about eating some healthy things first?" she asked teasingly, knowing full well he would call her bossy.

"Fine. Bossy." He said. She smiled.

"I knew you'd say that."

"Then why did you say it?"

"Because….I don't know. Let's eat." Hermione could see Harry was laughing, as he always did when he won their arguments, but he was trying not to show it. She waved her wand over the table and food instantly appeared. She laughed at the hungry look on her best friend's face and told him to eat all he could. He definitely hadn't eaten in a while, she noticed. Where exactly had he gone, and why didn't anyone know where he was? Hermione knew Harry wouldn't tell her, and that if she waited maybe he would. However, she couldn't stop the comment that came out of her mouth next.

"Why did you decide to come back?" Harry stared at her. She worried if she had made a mistake in asking that.

"Well, to see you, of course. I could not stand to spend another day away from my darling Hermione." He laughed, and Hermione could tell he was joking.

"Of course," she replied. "So, what do you want to do tomorrow? I mean, if you're going to stay here."

"Well, I thought we might go see Ron, and go to Honeydukes, and Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, and the Three Broomsticks, and—"

"—I could have guessed you'd say that," Hermione said, laughing. "You're a little predictable, you know."

"Hey!" Harry lightly punched Hermione in the arm.

"What?" she asked. She threw a pillow at him in retaliation. He gasped and leapt toward the couch and grabbed a pillow himself.

"If you want a pillow fight prepare to lose, Granger!"

"Yeah, well, you're looking at the champion of pillow fights here, Potter!"

"Oh, yeah? Since when?"

"Erm—right now." Harry laughed and whacked her with his pillow. She felt it slam into her but the light feathers kept the impact soft. She snatched up her own pillow and hit him with it. Pretty soon they were running all over the house, dodging pillows and chasing each other. Finally Hermione just collapsed on the couch, too exhausted to continue.

"Aw, are you tired already?" Harry pleaded.

"Yes!" Hermione laughed. "I'm really tired. You have no idea."

"Okay. See you tomorrow then," Harry said. Hermione pondered how someone with so much fame could be so courteous, but she really was too tired to really think about it. Harry left to go off to sleep in the guestroom. Hermione followed but went into the room across from the guestroom and changed into her favorite pajamas, this time making sure the door was locked, remembering Harry catching her in the shower. She unlocked the door and opened it so she could hear if Harry needed anything. Hermione lay in bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. She sighed, reflecting on her wonderful day, and wondered if she would ever have such a good day. But, even though she felt warm and safe, she suddenly remembered her questions about Harry's mysterious past 2 years. Her head spun with crazy ideas. She heard a tapping noise from outside her window and suddenly didn't feel so safe anymore. She whimpered. She heard a rustling near the door.

"It's okay," Harry whispered. "It's just me. Can't sleep?" Hermione shook her head. She saw him smile through the darkness. "Me neither. You want me to stay here?" he asked.

"Yeah," Hermione said. He slid into the bed next her. She could feel his flannel pajama bottoms against her bare legs, which were in pajama shorts. Harry put is arm around her and whispered in her ear. "You remember our third year? And you and Ron were buying something for me. You said no to Vampire Pops, and then Ron showed you some Cockroach Cluster, and I said definitely not. You guys both jumped five feet in the air," He reminisced. Hermione giggled. She snuggled next to him and closed her eyes. He held her more tightly, and she felt safe in his arms. Soon she fell asleep. Harry gazed at her, them both having a smile on their faces, and he went to sleep too.

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Well, here we are, chapter two . . . how are you liking the story?

Yeah, yeah, I'm really sorry it took so long to update. Real life can be such a hassle sometimes. ;-) Make sure you check back to read the next part!

Thanks for reading!

-insanehpluver-


	3. Chapter 3 : An Angry Tigress

**Disclaimer**: None of this is mine, except how the words are arranged. Characters: not mine. Plot: totally mine.

Hermione woke up feeling happier than she had in years. At first she wondered why, but then she felt Harry snoring next to her, and she giggled. Wait until Ginny heard about this! She slowly edged out from under his arm and off the bed. She put on her bathrobe and strolled into the kitchen to make breakfast. She waved her wand, and instantly pancakes, cereal, syrup, milk, orange juice, toast, butter, jam, and other breakfast essentials for an adult male appeared on the table.

The adult male stepped into the kitchen, yawning and stretching. "Wow," Harry said. "This looks good!" Hermione laughed.

"Dig in!" Harry piled mounds of sausages on his plate and ate. Hermione chose some toast and orange juice. She loved the way Harry and Ron always ate so much, yet were always hungry. It fascinated her, plus the fact that they never seemed to gain a pound. "So, our first stop is Ron's place. Then, the shops. Then…?" Harry shrugged.

"I guess after that I don't really care," he said.

"Okay…"

"How about we go see Ron and then decide what to do? Or we could go look at the place where you work—by the way, where are you working now? I heard you quit working at the Ministry."

"Yeah, I did. Now I work at Angress's Magical Supplies. Oh, shoot, I need to take the day off. Sorry, we have to go there first so I can tell my boss."

"No, you don't have to take a day off of work because of me. I'll just hang out today." Hermione looked at him suspiciously.

"Are you sure?" Harry nodded. "Okay, then, I'll go to work, and you can just hang out. Here's a spare key if you want to get outside a bit. Just lock up, okay?" Harry nodded again.

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. See you after work!" Hermione hugged him tightly. He hugged her tightly back, and she could feel the muscles in his back and arms. He kissed the top of her head. "See you later, Mione." Hermione frowned.

"Only you can call me that, okay?"

"Yes, boss." Hermione grinned.

"Fine, I'll go get dressed and then go to work." She left the kitchen and went into her room, locking the door again. She picked out silky blue robes and admired her reflection in the mirror.

"I'd say you look good, but it may be a bit much for a day of work," Harry said from behind her.

"Harry!! What are you doing in here?!?" Harry looked embarrassed.

"Well, I just wanted to give you something before you left, and the door was unlocked."

"No it wasn't!" Hermione said. She went to the door to inspect the lock. "Darn. Lock's broken." She muttered. "Well, now that Your Fashion Highness is here, what do you propose I wear?" Harry pointed to black robes, and then pulled out a silver locket from his pocket.

"I got this for you in one of the places I went to. I hope you like it." He said nervously. Hermione grinned.

"I love it! You're the best!" She looked inside and saw Harry and Ron smiling up at her. "Thank you so much!"

"Here, let me help," Harry said, reaching for the necklace. He pulled it around her neck and fastened the clip. Her skin tingled at his touch. Suddenly he pulled the black robes out of the closet. "I won't look," he said with that famous grin of his. She rolled her eyes at him but inside she was smiling. After making sure he had turned away, she slipped off her blue robes and pulled on her black ones.

"Okay," she announced. "I'm ready." Harry turned and smiled.

"Simple yet beautiful. Perfect." Hermione pretended to look shocked.

"Since when have you been a beauty expert?"

"Since now."

"Oh. Well, Mr. Beauty Expert, I am going to be late for work if I don't hurry up. I'll see you around four, okay?" Harry nodded. She left the room and went to the door, since she had to Disapparate outside. As she put her coat on, Harry stood next to her.

"See ya, Mione. Be careful," he said as he pulled her into a tight hug. "You never know what could happen."

"You know I'll be careful."

"Yeah, but I still worry about my Mione." He kissed the top of her head and she hugged him.

"Bye, Harry."

Outside, she quickly Apparated to work and strode in. Mrs. Angress greeted her at the door. "Ms. Granger, it's getting close to the start of school, so be on your toes. It will get busy." And with that she left Hermione to do her job. Hermione sighed. What wouldn't she do to have a boss who cared….

Hermione hung her coat up routinely, as she did every day, but today was different. Today, Harry Potter came back into her life, as quickly as he had left, she mused as she opened the first box to unpack. It contained a fresh batch of quills. She lifted the box with a levitation charm and set it down near the place on the racks of quills. She waved her wand, muttering again, and the quills flew precisely to their spots.

"Erm—Excuse me?" a customer asked. "My son needs robes in a size 3 for Hogwarts, but there isn't one on the racks."

"Okay, let's see…I'll check out back, but maybe you want to try on sizes 2 or 4 to see if 3 is the right size." She hurried off to the back of the store, where she knew there were no size 3 Hogwarts robes. She sighed, waited a moment, and then strode out to where the customer was waiting with her son. "I'm sorry, there's no size 3 Hogwarts robes in back. Did you try on size 4?" she asked. After looking at the child, it was obvious he was a size 4 or 5 at least. Why did parents always want robes sizes too small? Maybe it was like the women who came in and were 5 sizes bigger than they requested. _Who knows_, she told herself. When his mom shook her head, Hermione pulled out some robes sizes 4-6. "Here," she said, "try these on." She was amused by the horrified look on the mother's face of her son wearing a size _5_. She was tempted to laugh but she held it back.

After she assured the mother her son was the normal size for his age, Hermione rang them out (7 Sickles) and went back to sorting quills. The box was empty. Jan, who worked with Hermione, had obviously put all the quills away for her. She marveled at the acts of kindness Jan Genras showed. Jan was the most giving person in the world, yet she did not care about herself. Hermione sighed. She knew she could never give that much. She threw the box into the backroom and pulled out one with inkwells in it. She opened it and saw an ink bottle had smashed.

"Uh-oh," she said to herself. "Not good. I just hope Mrs. Angress doesn't find out." She reached in and got her hand covered with ink. Another bottle broke. "Darn it! What is going on?!?" she asked angrily.

"Yes—what _is_ going on?" a low voice asked from behind her. Hermione spun around to find Mrs. Angress there.

"I-I don't know, Ma'am. I just opened the box and two inkwells were smashed," she said nervously. Mrs. Angress swelled up. Hermione expected her to blow with angry words any second. "I can pay for the broken bottles…or reorder them..." she said weakly.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK, YOU CAN JUST BREAK A FEW INKWELLS AND REPAY ME?!?! BUSINESS IS RUINED! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TROUBLE YOU HAVE JUST CAUSED! EVEN THOUGH YOU GRADUATED, YOU ARE STUPID, I GUESS! You-are-STUPID, little girl!!!" Mrs. Angress erupted. "You know what? You're fired! And you just wait! I'll keep you from getting any other job in the business! Out of my shop, _now_! Out-_out_-OUT!!" Hermione gasped and felt her face was wet. She stumbled toward the coat rack, sobbing. She grabbed her coat, and without bothering to put it on, left the shop.

AN: Yeah, I'm sorry it took so long . . . anyway, I hope you like it :-) TGIF!  
Yeah . . . there is a reason Mrs. Angress is so wound up . . . you'll just have to keep reading to find out why :-) .

-insanehpluver-


	4. Chapter 4 : Some Kind of Superwoman

**Disclaimer:** Me no own. You no sue.

* * *

Out side, it was freezing cold. Hermione couldn't believe she had been wearing a t-shirt, skirt, and no coat the day before. She looked up at the grey sky, the once fluffy clouds now flat and monotonous. She hurried towards the Three Broomsticks and looked in the window. Harry, Ron, and two girls were sitting at a table together. Hermione thought she should go inside and say hi, but her feet led her away from the window. She turned her head to look back on the pub and saw that Harry had seen her with tears streaking down her face. She walked faster towards home. For some reason, she could not face people right now.

She broke into a run as she heard Harry calling her name. She sobbed as she ran and her breath caught in her chest. Suddenly she turned into her shortcut alleyway. There she collapsed, sobbing, on an old sofa. Harry's footsteps grow closer. She saw his shadow at the end of the alley and suddenly was glad he had come instead of Ron. Even in their Hogwarts days, Harry knew her best. Harry knew how to cheer her up, and what to do if she did not want to be cheered up.

He walked towards her in the dark. She felt the old springs sag under their weight, and Harry putting his arms around her. He rocked her, and she moved closer to him, not caring if he could tell she had broken down. He squeezed her tighter, and she sobbed into his jacket. He pulled her legs over his and held her like a baby. She slapped him and he laughed.

"Come on, Mione, let's go home." He picked her up and carried her home.

Inside, he set her down on the couch and put away their coats.

"Sorry," she hiccupped. "You didn't have to do that."

"You're right, as always. I didn't have to, but even if I did I would have done it with pleasure." He made them hot cocoa and gave one to her. The cup was warm, and when she dipped her finger in to test the temperature, the cocoa was perfect. She smiled up at him.

"How did you know I don't like it hot?" Harry just laughed and pulled her close to him.

"But before you can drink your cocoa, can you tell me why you're out of work so early?" he asked. Hermione felt tears welling up again and willed them back.

"She-she-she fired me. Because an inkwell smashed." She started crying again, and he laughed. "Don't make fun of me!"

"I'm not! But usually you don't get worked up about those things. I remember you used to tell Ron and I 'don't listen to them, just ignore them.' I guess it's just ironic that I have to tell you the same thing." She stuck her tongue out at him but smiled anyway. He brought her closer to him. She set her hot cocoa on the coffee table and leaned against him.

"I'm so glad you're my best friend," she said, meaning it. Without Harry, she would be a nerd no one liked. Without Harry, there would be no laughter, no adventures, no fun. Without Harry, her life would be incomplete.

"Me too" he said. She nestled closer to him and sighed.

"I'm pathetic."

"No, you're not. You're my Hermione Know-it-all Granger, and you'll always be my best friend." He tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear and kissed the top of his head. She giggled like a little girl and closed her eyes. He rested his head on top of hers and said, "We should probably go to bed. It's late." Hermione yawned. He laughed and picked her up again. He took her to her room and laid her down on her bed. "Night, Mione. See you tomorrow."

"Night, Harry," she murmured. She pulled the sheets up to her chin and heard him quietly close the door. She rolled over and saw her Employee of the Month nomination certificate. Now, alone, she let herself cry openly. Soon tears soaked her pillow. She was so tired, yet she knew with these thoughts about work flying about her head she'd never sleep. She took a deep breath, then let it out. It calmed her a little, but not much. Suddenly she could not take it. The star student of her year, everyone had predicted she would do well in whatever she did. But, in reality, she had quit her first job and just got fired from her second. To her, it did not seem like she was doing even half as well as everyone expected her to be. She had let everyone down, what she had wanted never to do since…well, since the day she became the nerd, teacher's pet, and all those other things she had been called in the past.

She closed her eyes and involuntarily saw the memory of that fateful day that changed her life.

"_Hermione, you need to keep your grade the best it can be. This is not good enough." Hermione felt tears roll down her cheeks._

"_But, Mum—I'm doing the best I can!"_

"_Well, darling, obviously it's not good enough. You do want to get into a good college and make a success of yourself, don't you?" Hermione nodded miserably. "Then pick up your grades! If you don't pick them up in the next two weeks, we'll have to put you in extra help classes. And that's final." She watched her mother stride away and ran to her bedroom. It wasn't her fault she was doing so badly; somehow, she felt all out of place in this world. She couldn't concentrate on her schoolwork. She vowed to study hard for the rest of her life. That night, Hermione cried herself to sleep._

Then she had gotten the invitation to go to Hogwarts, and she had gladly accepted. However, her studying habits had stayed with her and her mother's stress on doing well had also.

_Brrr._ She shivered. It was cold that night. Somehow, even though it was early autumn, the weather had taken a turn for the worse and gotten even colder than usual. In her bed alone, Hermione felt isolated from the good things in life. She glanced at the clock on the wall and saw that it was midnight.

_Dong. _The clock struck twelve. _Dong. _Her brain pulled up a fact to the front of her mind this was the evilest hour of the day. _Dong._ What was that? The tree she had heard last night? _Dong._ Or something else? _Dong._ She scrunched up her eyes, convinced that if she stayed very still and quiet she could make it through the nightmare of an hour that was midnight. _Dong._ Something in the corridor rustled._ Dong. _She shivered and curled up in a ball, determined to stay very still. _Dong._ _Dong. Dong. Dong. Dong. _She drifted off to sleep.

In her dream, she was walking down a beach with someone. The sky was every color of the rainbow, for the sun was just setting. The ocean reflected the sky. Suddenly, a tall, cold wave came crashing down on the beach and swept away her companion. She screamed and screamed but there was no answer and the ocean was calm once more. She kept walking, looking back every so often. As she went along, the sense of loss drifted away and when she could see the end of the beach, it was totally gone. She stumbled across a hat. Then a pair of jeans. Then a striped T-shirt. She picked them up as she came across them. At the end, someone was waiting for her. She ran to them, with the clothes in her hands, but they disappeared when she got a meter away. The beach opened up and swallowed her whole. She awoke with a scream on her lips.

"Hermione?" came Harry's voice from the door. "I'm making breakfast…are sausages and pumpkin juice okay? That's…erm…all I really know how to make."

"Yeah."

"Okay. See you in a minute. You might want to get dressed first." He laughed, running out the door to the kitchen. She sighed, and then sat up. _That person on the beach_, she thought, _who _were_ they? _The question bugged at her while she pulled on her favorite jeans and sweatshirt. She still hadn't been able to answer it when she stepped into the kitchen amid a yummy aroma from breakfast.

Harry pulled out a chair for her and waited until she sat down before sitting down himself.

"Wow, you're a gentleman this morning," Hermione teased.

"Aren't I always?" Harry retorted, trying but failing to look offended. Hermione laughed. "Well, most of the time. When I want to be, anyway." Harry grinned. "So, Ron and I were thinking of meeting Giselle and Nanette at the Three Broomsticks today at noon, but since you're not doing anything, we could cancel, or set you up with someone else…whatever you want." Hermione felt her grin slide off her face like rain off a window.

"I-I don't care, I guess…" She said, not looking at Harry.

"Okay…so, we'll meet Ron and the girls there and decide what to do then. Whoa!" An owl swooped in the window and deposited a bundle on Harry's head. He picked it up and read:

"Miss Hermione Granger. Oh, this is for you. Stupid owl. Here." He gave it to her. She noticed the Hogwarts crest on it and frowned.

"Why—"

_Dear Ms. Granger,_

_We are proud to inform you that you have been a choice Transfiguration Professor for the upcoming school year. Please send an owl with your reply no later than July 31st. We await your response, and will send details within a week of your response._

_Sincerely,_

_Hogwarts Deputy Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall_

Harry grinned. "That's excellent! The perfect job for you! And now you won't be bored! Score for one Hermione Granger!" He high-fived Hermione.

"I know! Oh, my gosh! Oh-my-gosh-oh-my-gosh, Harry!" She jumped up and hugged him. Before she knew it, she was flying through the air. "Ahhhh! Put me down! Oh gosh, _please_ put me down!" She gripped Harry's arms so hard he winced, but she did not let go. He gently set her on the floor.

"Ow, Mione, what was that for?" he said, rubbing his wrists. Hermione tried to look sympathetic, but ended up grinning, so she gave up on that angle.

"Sorry, Harry. But you know, even I can get scared when I'm suddenly up in the air."

"What do you mean, 'even I'? Are you implying that you are some kind of superwoman?" He grinned maniacally and inched toward the end table where his wand lay. Hermione gasped at the prospect of being cursed and flew out the door, Harry on her heels. "Wait up, Granger! I have something for you!" Laughing, Hermione ducked into the Three Broomsticks and squeezed her way in to the crowd. She saw Ron and raced towards his table where he and two very pretty women were sitting.

"Hey, Ron," She gasped out. "Can I hide behind you?" Ron looked confused. She saw Harry making his way towards them and she ducked behind him.

"Alright, where is she?" She heard Harry say. "Aha!" Before she could duck, he aimed the full body-bind at her. A jet of light soared toward her and made contact. She felt herself go rigid and fall to the ground. She heard Harry laughing uncontrollably.

"Nanette, Giselle, this is Hermione Granger, our best friend. We went to school together. I have no idea what these two are up to, but knowing them, it's bound to be something stupid." Ron remarked.

"Hey!" Harry protested. "It's not stupid! She just implied that she was a superhuman, and I was a lower life form, so I hexed her. Is that bad?" He bent over Hermione and stared in her face. "Sorry, Mione," he said apologetically. "I won't do it again, I swear." He performed the countercurse and she felt herself go flexible again.

"Harry! You should be ashamed of yourself!" Hermione heard the smooth, feminine voice issue from the mouth of the pretty blonde sitting next to Ron. Harry grinned. The brunette sitting next to her smiled at her and gave Hermione her hand to help her up. Hermione frowned and pushed herself up and dusted herself off.

"Nice meeting you guys. I have some business to attend to. See you later, Harry. Bye, Ron." She said, trying to get out of her position as it hit her: she was about to spend the day with her two best friends and their girlfriends. That did not sound like a good day to her. As she left, she smiled. Those trendy, giggling females certainly were going to think twice before messing with her friends after the show she just put on. She laughed at the thought they might think she was a little nuts and strode out the door and into the swirling snow in high spirits.

* * *

A/N: Well that was fun. XD And quite long, too. **So** sorry for the long wait! I went to Florida, and had a blast.  
I hope to get the next chapter up soon.  
"A Birthday Surprise" is on hold, as I seem to have lost my notes and now have only a vague idea where it's going. "Red, Gold, and Fuchsia" is giving me some trouble right now, but I'm working on it! 

Thanks sooo much for reading!  
insanehpluver


	5. Chapter 5 : Whirling

**Disclaimer:** JK Rowling rules my world. I wouldn't dare steal anything from the Queen.

* * *

Previously:

"_Harry! You should be ashamed of yourself!" she heard a smooth, feminine voice issue from the mouth of the pretty blonde sitting next to Ron. Harry grinned. The brunette sitting next to her smiled at her and gave Hermione her hand to help her up. Hermione frowned and pushed herself up and dusted herself off._

"_Nice meeting you guys. I have some business to attend to. See you later, Harry. Bye, Ron." She said, trying to get out of her position as it hit her: she was about to spend the day with her two best friends and their girlfriends. That did not sound like a good day to her. As she left, she smiled. Those trendy, giggling females certainly were going to think twice before messing with her friends after the show she just put on. She laughed at the thought they might think she was a little nuts and strode out the door and into the swirling snow in high spirits._

"I don't need anythi-ing, just to hold you in my arms. You can't leave! I've got you! No matter what you do, you're mine," she sang gaily as she passed by the joke shop. Something caught her eye. She turned to see three redheads waving furiously at her in the shop window. She laughed at Fred, George, and Ginny Weasley's antics and ran in the store.

"Weasley's Wizard Wheezes" said a bright red banner in the back of the store. "For Hogwarts, training, and beyond."

"Ginny!" she shrieked.  
"Hermione!" Ginny shrieked back. "I haven't seen you this happy in so long! What's new with you?"

"Erm—Well, Harry's back, and I got a job teaching Transfiguration at Hogwarts!"

"Oh my gosh! No way!" Ginny said. Hermione nodded happily.

"What's with the grins?" George asked. "Did you use one of the products again, Ginny? You know those make you-"

"No, George, Harry's back! And Hermione is the new Transfiguration professor!" Ginny squealed. Fred grinned and offered his hand.

"Good going, Hermione." Fred said. "Or Professor Granger, I should say." Hermione smiled, shook her head, and then his hand. George offered his hand and she shook his, too. She felt something hard in his hand. Too late, she took her hand away. When she looked at it, it had the word LOSER on it in red. She pulled her wand out of her robes and tapped her hand. LOSER was still written there, shinier than before if anything.

"How do I get this off?" she asked Fred.

"Can't tell you. We're honor-bound by the Marauder's code, which is unbreakable." He responded solemnly.

"Sorry I asked." The twins broke out into their infamous twin grins. Ginny rolled her eyes and pulled Hermione out the door and into the white wonderland outside.

"So, Hermione," Ginny said, "How's Harry? What's he doing for a living?" Hermione shrugged.

"Being an Auror, I guess. He hasn't really mentioned it."

"Oh."

"But, to answer your first question, he's doing great. I think he and Ron met a great pair of girls and they're going to go to a club today. Not my idea of a great day, but…"

"I know! Ron's been looking forward to this forever! Every night he goes, 'Boy, wouldn't it be fun if I could go clubbing with the Boy Who Lived?' It's so annoying!"

"Exactly!" Hermione agreed. "But, since they're going to have a guys' night out, want to have a girls' night in?" Ginny squealed and nodded.

"I'd love to! Can I invite Luna? I'm sure Neville won't mind her gone one night." Hermione almost doubted this; ever since Neville and Luna had married, it was like Neville was scared to be on his own again. True, Luna had helped him regain his memory, and she had given him confidence; but really, you'd expect someone to not be so dependent. Oh well, that was just Neville.

"Sure. Oh, and bring whatever you want. If the guys come home drunk, we'll give them a free makeover." Hermione winked at Ginny and she laughed. "I have to be going. See you at seven, okay?"

"Bye, Hermione!" Ginny yelled after her as she strolled off into the gently drifting snow. She hummed a little, glad that her life was finally getting together. She hadn't been this happy in ages, and she was sure she could pin it on Harry's arrival. True, she still got that weightless feeling in her stomach whenever she thought of Harry, but she figured she was just glad to see him. Anyway, it was going away and did not happen often, she rationalized. She realized that she was finally putting away the uncomfortable emotion that was love toward her best friend.

She twirled in the falling snow, watching her robes flare up then settle again. Giggling like a little girl, she danced her way back toward her house, happily anticipating the warm cup of hot chocolate that she would have once she got there. Slowly her home loomed closer and closer, the inside looking bleak and dark. _Hmm, _she thought,_ I thought we left the lights on. Oh, well, Harry must have turned them off before he left._ She approached her house, feeling unapprehended wariness. She took her key out of her robes and inserted it in the cold lock. The door creaked open as she stepped inside. She shivered as she felt the cold inside the silent house. Somehow, she did not remember the furniture arranged like this. She said _Lumos_ and the lights came on. She gasped. The couch was overturned; the bookshelves were dumped on the floor. Her cabinets were hanging from their hinges and her table was broken. Though she was scared of what she might find in the bedrooms, she decided to tap on the Gryffindor bravery and see how bad it was there. Her bedroom was a mess. The sheets were in a ball on the floor and her cosmetics covered the floor. She found the cold had been coming from her windows, which were smashed. She groaned. Buying this flat had cost all she had; this was sure to cost the same, if not more. She opened her closet to find all her clothes still racked neatly. Why would her whole apartment be torn apart except the closet? She left her room to check out Harry's. Inside, it was pretty much the same as it was last night. She had a sudden thought, and then whipped around to reenter her bedroom.

What if she had interrupted the vandal in his search of her home? Most likely he would have Apparated out. Her theory seemed correct as she examined it more. He probably was going through her room when she opened the door and had not gotten to Harry's room or her closet yet. But then…why hadn't she heard anything? Usually, a wizard made a small popping noise as he Apparated. So…If they hadn't Apparated, they were still in the house, and that meant that they were in the room she was in. Suddenly, it hit her: _She had to get out of the house, now._ The intruder might have been a regular, every-day intruder, or they could have been a former Death Eater, or someone else who had the incentive to kill her. She didn't dwell on these thoughts but rather dashed out the door and into the darkened, snow-filled outdoors.

Once outside, she did not stop running until she came into the warm yellow glow of the Three Broomsticks. She looked inside but didn't recognize anyone, so she decided to Apparate to Ron's house. She disappeared with a faint _pop_ and reappeared outside a tall, poorly built house. Smoke rose in lazy grey clouds from the brick chimney. She knocked on the door. It opened, and she fell inside.

* * *

"Soon"… blush. No excuses, I know…sorry.  
Anyway, I do have more written, so the next part SHOULD be coming out soon, but finals are this week. Cram time!  
For your pleasure (laughs), I have a sample from the next part: 

_"Silence. For ten minutes. Ten long, excruciating minutes. Why couldn't she think of something to say to her best friend?"_

Thank you for reading )

insanehpluver


	6. Chapter 6 : New Waves

Previously:

_ Once outside, she did not stop running until she came into the warm yellow glow of the Three Broomsticks. She looked inside but didn't recognize anyone, so she decided to Apparate to Ron's house. She disappeared with a faint pop and reappeared outside a tall, poorly built house. Smoke rose in lazy grey clouds from the brick chimney. She knocked on the door. It opened, and she fell inside._

* * *

Once outside, she did not stop running until she came into the warm yellow glow of the Three Broomsticks. She looked inside frantically but after peering into countless strangers' faces she realized that she didn't recognize anyone, so she decided to Apparate to Ron's house. The Burrow had been briefly mentioned that morning, and her mind immediately clicked on it. She disappeared with a faint _pop_ and reappeared outside a tall, poorly built house. Smoke rose in lazy grey clouds from the crooked brick chimney. She knocked on the door. It opened, and she fell inside.Once outside, she did not stop running until she came into the warm yellow glow of the Three Broomsticks. She looked inside frantically but after peering into countless strangers' faces she realized that she didn't recognize anyone, so she decided to Apparate to Ron's house. The Burrow had been briefly mentioned that morning, and her mind immediately clicked on it. She disappeared with a faint and reappeared outside a tall, poorly built house. Smoke rose in lazy grey clouds from the crooked brick chimney. She knocked on the door. It opened, and she fell inside. 

"Hermione!" Harry said. "What's wrong? Why are you here?"

"The house! They damaged my house! They came—everything messed up—I opened the door—all quiet—SOMEONE IN MY HOUSE." Harry gasped.

"What?" Ron said incredulously. Harry set her on the worn couch. She drew a deep shuddering breath before telling them the whole story, from leaving the Three Broomsticks to Disapparating from it. Ginny appeared over Ron's shoulder part way through her retelling, and soon Hermione had almost the whole Weasley family looking at her curiously.

"Never mind; I-I'll just go home. I'm just overreacting, I guess. Sorry to have disturbed you—"

"No, Hermione, you stay here." Harry told her forcefully, sitting on the couch.

"Are you sure? I mean, maybe it wasn't an intruder, or maybe…" Harry put his finger over her lips and laughed.

"Just listen to you, Hermione! You're the cleverest witch I know! How can you even _think_ of going back to that house by yourself?"

"Right," Ron chimed in. "You should stay here and let someone who is qualified go to your house." Hermione snorted. Ron had been using words "qualified" and "witch" (often within a word or two of one another) ever since his youngest sibling, Ginny, had been qualified as a HitWizard. He was very proud of his sister, Hermione could tell, but sometimes he overdid it.

"No, Ginny is _not_ going into that house!" exclaimed Mrs. Weasley. "I am not losing another—" She suddenly drew a deep shuddering breath and stiffly fast-walked out of the room. They could hear her sobbing in the kitchen.

"She's been like this ever since—you know," Ron said in an undertone. All those present—Fred, George, Ginny, Ron, Harry, and Hermione—knew that he was referring to the day they had seen Harry last before he had come back. It was also the day they last saw Percy and Mr. Weasley. According to the witnesses, they had fought side by side until the end: Voldemort, the evilest, most powerful wizard in a century, had murdered them in an attempt to kill Harry as well in the final battle. This was always a touchy subject with Molly, who never quite got over the fact that it had been the first time since Percy's split from the family that he and his father had been together, physically and emotionally.

"I'll go talk to her," Ginny said with a sigh. She stood up and left the room.

"Well, it's nice to see you, mate, but we really have to be going. We're trying to invent a new thing for the shop; business is slowing down." Fred said. George nodded, and as one the twins left the room as well.

"Hey!" Ron said suddenly. "Guess what!"

"What?" Harry asked.

"Our first game is this weekend! Want to come?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Harry said. He really missed Quidditch, and couldn't wait to see Ron play professionally.

"As long as there's no singing," Hermione said. "I think I've had enough of 'Weasley is Our King' for two people's lifetimes." Harry laughed and Ron blushed.

"It's a deal," Ron said and he left the room to go get his broomstick. So he could show off, Hermione presumed.

Silence. For ten minutes. Ten long, excruciating minutes. Why couldn't she think of something to say to her best friend?

"So," Hermione said to break the silence. "How long has it been since you've played Quidditch?"

"Erm—a couple years, I guess. Maybe I should practice with Ron…?" He suggested. Hermione smiled as she recalled the two of them on the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch. "Knut for your thoughts?" he asked at her distant expression.

"Oh, just thinking."

"About what? About me? About how gorgeous and awesome I am?"

"Yes," Hermione said laughing, "about how modest you are, and your wonderful personality, and how I can't imagine how girls can keep themselves away from your god-like body." Harry laughed. "No, I was thinking about when you and Ron last played on the same field. It was so long ago, but I remember the Weasley is Our King badges, and how we had to keep Ron from seeing them or else he would have done something drastic, and the match—you played really well! But then you got a ban, and…" her voice drifted off as she saw Harry's face in his hands and sensed, rather than saw, a glimmer of a tear behind his hands. "I'm sorry," she said, "I guess I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry to remind you…"

"No," came the Voice Behind the Hands, "I'm sorry. I'm fine. I mean, it happened a long time ago, and the ban was lifted…" Hermione put her arm around his waist.

"Well," she whispered in his ear, "at least you don't come home to find your house has been ransacked and you have to go crying to your friend's house, or get fired from your job after you quit your first one, _and_ you're extremely gorgeous and awesome. How lucky do you get?" Harry chuckled and put his arm around her.

"Thanks, Mione," he murmured, "You've always been good at that kind of thing, I guess. But you know what would make me feel even better?"

"Mmm?"

"Let's go to a club."

"Erm, Harry? All my stuff's at home."

"Well, Ginny should have something to fit you."

"Yeah, I guess so…" she said, not masking her reluctance well enough for Harry.

"What, do you not want to go? Do you like seeing me miserable? Is that it?" Harry said accusingly. Hermione could not help laughing.

"Fine; I give in. Let's go. Should we invite Ron?"

"Sure, and Nanette and Giselle can come too. We have to find you a date, though. That's our mission for tonight—get Hermione a date."

"Sounds good to me," said Ron from the doorway. "Let's go."

"Excuse me?" Ginny shouted from the kitchen. "What about Hermione's house?"

"Can you sort it out? Please, Gin?" Ron pleaded.

"Fine!" Ginny shouted grumpily, obviously huffy about having to work instead of play.

"Yes!" Ron pumped his fist in the air, either ignoring or not realizing his sister's annoyance, and Disapparated.

"Where's he going?" Hermione rolled her eyes. "_We_ don't even know where we're going!"

"Sure we do! We're going to the best one in London: Wand's Crossing!" said Harry. "Here—I'll hold your hand so you won't have to concentrate on how to get there as much," he suggested, wrapping her small hand in his larger one.

"Thanks," Hermione said, pleasantly surprised. _Since when has Harry been so courteous?_ She wondered. However, she hardly had time to think as they disappeared from the Weasleys' living room and instantly appeared outside a cheaply lit McDonald's restaurant. "Harry? This isn't a club," she said uncertainly.

"I know, Wand's Crossing is this way," he replied, pulling her off around the side to the drive-in window. "A Big Mac, hold the Floo please," he ordered politely to the Muggle in the window. Hermione wondered if he had lost his marbles. Hold the Floo? Floo powder was a method of transportation via fireplaces, not a condiment on a burger. The Muggle nodded and pressed a button on his headphones. Just then, a fireplace appeared on the side of the fast-food building. Harry wordlessly pulled her through it. The flames, rather than burning, felt like slipping back into her old four-poster bed at Hogwarts when the house-elves had put warming pans in it for her. She only felt this for a second before entering a big, open—and crowded—club. She had never been to one of these before. Somehow, despite seven years of living the Gryffindor bravery, she found herself staring at the floor.

* * *

Yay! An update within a reasonable amout of time! XD  
Anyway, there's part 6. 7 should come soon.  
As always, thanks for reading!  
insanehpluver 


	7. Chapter 7 : Beer Breath and a Mint

Previously:

"_A Big Mac, hold the Floo please," he ordered politely to the Muggle in the window. Hermione wondered if he had lost his marbles. Hold the Floo? Floo powder was a method of transportation via fireplaces, not a condiment on a burger. The Muggle nodded and pressed a button on his headphones. Just then, a fireplace appeared on the side of the fast-food building. Harry wordlessly pulled her through it. The flames, rather than burning, felt like slipping back into her old four-poster bed at Hogwarts when the house-elves had put warming pans in it for her. She only felt this for a second before entering a big, open—and crowded—club. She had never been to one of these before. Somehow, despite seven years of living the Gryffindor bravery, she found herself staring at the floor. _

_

* * *

_"Oi, you guys!" Ron tried to get their attention. "Over here!" He waved three bottles of Ogden's Old Firewhiskey and motioned next to him. Harry grinned. 

"Come on, Mione, let's go," he said. She sighed and followed in his wake towards Ron. "Hey, Giselle. How've you been?" he said in a noticeably deeper voice to one of the pretty females next to Ron. _Not them again!_

"Great. How about you?" Giselle replied in her smooth velvety voice.

"Just fine, though Hermione gave us quite a scare a minute ago. It's all fine now, of course," he said, as though he didn't want to leave her with any doubt that he could take care of anything. Hermione noticed he kept running his hand through his hair, making it even messier than it usually was. She wondered what why he did that. _It looked fine to me before_.

"Well, now that you're here, I suppose Nanette and I can go off on our own, eh?" Ron interjected, clearly wanted time alone with Nanette. Nanette gave a high-pitched giggle and clutched Ron's arm with her heavily manicured claws.

"Fine, go off by yourselves. I can have fun on my own," Hermione said quickly, not looking at Harry. She knew Harry would protest, but she really didn't mind being on her own tonight. She heard Harry sigh from beside her. Ron grinned and Nanette pulled him off to another room.

"See you guys later, say about midnight?" he said as he left. Hermione nodded and turned to Harry.

"See you at midnight. Have fun you guys," she said in monotone to Harry and Giselle. He rumpled her hair as she passed by him to go to the bar. She whirled around and stuck her tongue out at him, still walking backward. She crashed into someone behind her and fell down on top of them. "Oh, my gosh! I'm so sorry!" she gasped to the person under her and stood up. The person stood up also and she saw it was a blond, muscular young man of about twenty-three wearing sky-blue robes to match his beautiful eyes.

"That's okay," he said in a deep masculine voice. He looked at her curiously. "My name's Shane."

"Her-Hermione," Hermione choked out. Okay, so her knees fell weak and her heart stopped when she looked at him, but that was only because she had fallen—right?

"Hey, Hermione," he said, smiling, "Wanna dance?" She nodded. He grinned and exposed brilliantly perfect white teeth, that, as a pair of dentists' daughter, she could recognize from across the room. She allowed herself to be led away by this god-like stranger named Shane. Just before she left the room, she glanced back at Harry. He was looking at her, laughing, with his arm around Giselle. _Figures,_ she thought and stuck her tongue out at him again, but she was smiling as she did so.

Shane led her into a dark room that was lit by—_are those really?_—disco balls. Shane grinned.

"Come on, what are you waiting for?" he said, still with that gorgeous smile. She stepped onto the dance floor and gasped. There was a floaty, blue substance under the glass floor, and it looked like she was walking on blue clouds. He impatiently pulled her closer to him and she automatically put her arms around him. _Guess those dances with Krum really paid off_, she thought with a grin. Shane beamed and pulled her closer to him, obviously thinking she was smiling because of him. It was all she could do to not choke on his beer breath. _Honestly,_ she found herself thinking, _this is gross. Even if he is, ahem, every girl's dream, he still drinks. And has beer breath. Gross. I've got to get out of here. Or give him a mint. _She glanced up at her dance partner. _I'll go with the mint._

"Here you go," she said, popping a mint in his mouth. He frowned and started to say something, but she had guessed this was coming and pressed her mouth on his. Instantly, he grabbed her head and closed his eyes, really getting into it. She closed her eyes too, and the kiss got a little more… Finally, she pulled back.

"Thanks for the mint," Shane said.

"You're welcome."

_Dong. Dong. Dong._ Dang. That stupid clock. _I wish it would stop ringing; I'm getting a headache._ It rang eight more times and she gasped. _Midnight._ She had totally forgotten she was meeting with Ron and Harry at midnight.

"Boy, time sure does fly when you're having fun!" she said. Shane laughed.

"It sure does. Wanna go have some," he wiggled his eyebrows, "real fun?"

"I'd love to, but, erm, I can't, I've, erm, got…to…go…" she stammered as his lips came closer and closer to hers. Before she could turn her cheek, he had full-on kissed her. She knew it was rude, but she pulled away. "I've really got to go. I promised my friends we'd meet at midnight. Sorry. Maybe I'll see you some other time."

"Well, can I have your Floo name?" he pleaded. "Before you go? I've never met anyone like you! I can't just dance with you once, and then leave you!" She sighed, then scribbled the name of her Floo fireplace on a spare piece of parchment and thrust it at him.

"Bye," she called as she walked, almost ran, out of the dancing room. The main room was so crowded her face was pressed on the person in front of her's back, and her feet were stomped on by multiple others. "Harry?" she called, panicking, over the crowd. "Ron? Where are you guys?" Suddenly a something pressed against her eyes. She screamed.

"Relax, Hermione, it's just me," said Harry from behind her. Oh, it was only Harry's hands. Oops. He let go and she spun around, or turned as much as she could in that position, and saw his emerald green eyes sparkling and that trademark grin girls swooned over.

"Sorry."

"So, are you ready to go?" Hermione nodded. "Okay, then." He picked her up by her waist and carried her over to Ron, Nanette, and Giselle.

"Hey! Come on, Harry, please put me down! Please?" she begged.

"When we get to Ron. I don't want to lose you," he responded patiently. She rolled her eyes. Sometimes his calmness came at all the wrong moments. She felt her feet _thump_ to the ground as he set her down on the ground.

"So, Hermione," Ron said, grinning, "Been having fun?" She stuck her tongue out at him and yawned. "Fine, fine, you win, let's go home. I think Ginny's fixed your house by now." Harry nodded his agreement and pecked Giselle on the cheek.

"See ya later, Gis," he said, winking at his girlfriend.

"Bye, Nan," Ron said, "Maybe I'll see you tomorrow at the Three Broomsticks at eight." _Wow_, Hermione thought, _it's really that easy to make a date? And he was so casual about it, too._ Obviously, she was inexperienced in this dating business. With Viktor, he had always asked her, and she always said yes. Yes because he was an international Quidditch player. Or maybe, she always said yes because she didn't want to hurt his feelings. But perhaps…she said yes because she could; because this was the only person who paid any attention to her. She quickly pushed these thoughts aside and became more aware of Harry and Ron leaving without her.

"Hey! Wait up!" she called. Ron laughed and sped up, but Harry slowed down.

"We waited for you, but when you didn't move we figured you could make your own way home," he explained. She tried to frown, but didn't have the heart to frown at the one best friend who had waited for her even after she was lost in thought.

"Okay, fine," she gave up her anger, "But I'm so-so-so tired," she said, trying but not succeeding to stifle a yawn. Harry laughed.

"That's my Mione: exhausted after one night in a club."

"Hey!" He just laughed and grabbed her hand, pulling her forward towards Ron. Ron was frowning when they got to him in front of the exit. There were two identical fireplaces; one had a sign that said it would take the person back to the McDonald's window, the other's sign noted it was a regular Floo fireplace and you could go wherever you wanted. "I guess we're taking this one," she said, pointing to the latter.

"Yup," Ron said, "Hermione, do you want to come back to my house, so you can check to see if your house is safe? Oh, and Harry, you might want to, too." Harry oh-so-subtly rolled his eyes, but nodded. Hermione saw him, and she secretly smiled to herself. She knew what Harry was thinking, because they had been friends for all these years, but she also knew that he would never let Ron know he thought Ron was a little—

* * *

So. That was fun, that chapter.  
Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! It means a lot to me.  
See you next week,  
insanehpluver 

P.S. "Hermione glanced around the kitchen. She saw Charlie and Ron chuckling in the Weasley way. Harry was chortling, lights dancing in his bright emerald eyes. _This is where I belong_, she found herself thinking..." ;-) Have fun!


	8. Chapter 8 : A Heated Apartment

Previously:

"_I guess we're taking this one," she said, pointing to the latter._

"_Yup," Ron said, "Hermione, do you want to come back to my house, so you can check to see if your house is safe? Oh, and Harry, you might want to, too." Harry oh-so-subtly rolled his eyes, but nodded. Hermione saw him, and she secretly smiled to herself. She knew what Harry was thinking, because they had been friends for all these years, but she also knew that he would never let Ron know he thought Ron was a little—_

* * *

"Hermione?" Ron snapped his fingers in front of her face. She could tell Harry was amused by the look on Ron's face. Ron snapped his fingers again. "Hermione?" She pulled her thoughts back to now-reality.

"Sorry, what was it you want to tell me?" she asked Ron.

"I was _saying_ that maybe you should come back to my house with Harry before going to your house to make sure it's safe."

"Sounds great, Ron. I hope my house is okay," she said, also knowing that she would sell the house as soon as possible. She knew she would not be able to stand being in a house that had been robbed. Ron nodded and stepped into the green flames. He threw some Floo powder into the flickering flames at his feet and said, "The Burrow!"

"Hermione, you go ahead. See you at the Burrow," Harry said. Hermione smiled at him and stepped into the fire as Ron had done.

"The Burrow!" And with a _whoosh_ she found herself spinning through many different fireplaces, occasionally catching a glimpse of the lounges beyond, but then she was whisked off through even more grates. Finally she felt herself slowing down, and she threw out her arms to keep herself from falling face-first into the Weasley kitchen. A pair of strong arms reached under hers and pulled her upright. She shook the soot out of her eyes and saw a very weather-beaten man with bright red hair grinning at her.

"Charlie! How nice to see you!" she exclaimed.

"Hey, Hermione," Charlie replied. "Ginny told me about your house, so I called the Ministry. They've finished the primary search, but want you to stay somewhere else until they figure this out. Apparently, this guy meant business." He gazed at her with concerned eyes.

"Yeah, and it would be fun to have a sleepover; we haven't had one of those in years!" Ron interjected excitedly. Hermione laughed at the little-boy look on her best friend's face.

"Sounds fine to me."

"What sounds fine?" Hermione jumped and spun around. There was Harry, laughing silently at her surprise.

"Harry! Merlin, you scared the living daylights out of me!" she scolded.

"Hey, answer my question!" he said, laughing. "What's fine?"

"Oh, Ron and Charlie invited me to sleep over here." She said lightly, purposely not mentioning Harry being invited too.

"Erm—okay…I'll just…go somewhere else for the night…" Harry said, with the quietly pleading eyes Hermione knew only too well. Hermione clamped her mouth shut tight and tried hard not to smile.

"Hmmm…Let me think…Oh, yeah, someone else was invited too…" In spite of herself, she couldn't help a grin coming through her seriousness. "Oh, wait, his name's on the tip of my tongue…Hold on…Oh, yeah, his name was…Harold? Harvey? No..."

"Her_mi_one!" Harry said, exasperated. Charlie was trying, but not exactly succeeding, to not laugh. Ron had cracked long ago, and was laughing, doubled over, holding onto the beat-up kitchen table for support.

"Wait, don't tell me!" she shrieked, holding her finger in the air. "Har—" she feigned deep thought. "Harr—Harry! That's the one!" she finished triumphantly. Harry looked so _furious_ that she was almost scared—until her laughter finally broke free of its barrier. Harry reluctantly smiled, then grinned, and then laughed out loud.

Hermione glanced around the kitchen. She saw Charlie and Ron chuckling in the Weasley way. Harry was chortling, lights dancing in his bright emerald eyes for the first time in…a long time. A feeling of belonging, pride, and general happiness burst into her consciousness and she couldn't help grinning. She was about to yell "GROUP HUG!" when she came to her senses and regained her dignity.

"Hem-hem," she coughed. Ron and Harry jumped. She smiled slightly, remembering the despicable Defense Against the Dark Arts professor they had had in their fifth year: Professor Umbridge. "Anyway," she continued, "I was supposed to meet Ginny. Do you know where she is, Charlie?" He shook his head. "Oh. Well, then, I guess she must be coming here soon, so I'll see her then." Ron suppressed a yawn.

"You guys might want to go to bed. It's been a long day," Charlie advised. "I'll wake you up if anything happens, okay?" He shooed them up the stairs.

"So, Harry, guess what?" Ron said excitedly.

"What?" Harry said, looking tired but interested.

"Well, you know I moved out after graduation, right?" Harry nodded. "Well, Mum and Dad set me up my own apartment upstairs! Now I can come home and visit whenever I want!" Harry grinned.

"Think of the possibilities, mate…" he mused. Ron grinned too. Hermione sighed.

"I am here, too, you know," she said. "So where is this apartment you mentioned?" Ron pointed right ahead, up three flights of stairs. Hermione could just make out _Ronald's Apartment_ on a brass plaque on a door that had chipped orange paint. Ron picked up his pace, almost running up the stairs, and Harry followed. Hermione puffed behind them. Ron turned around, amazed, looking at Hermione struggling to race up three flights of steps.

"What? It's not like I compulsively work out every day!" she gasped, offended. Finally, she came up the last step. Ron rolled his eyes and turned the key in the lock. He flung open the door and they were greeted by a blast of warm air.

"I like to keep it at a constant temperature so I don't come home to a different temperature every time," he explained. Apparently, the temperature he had chosen was meant to be like a beach rather than the English countryside.

"Ever heard of a heating bill?" Hermione asked. Harry laughed.

"Let's just go to bed," Ron said, yawning. Hermione nodded and followed him inside. Harry entered the apartment last and snapped shut the door behind them.

"Hermione, you can sleep on this couch," Ron instructed, "and Harry, you can sleep on this one. We can add guest bedrooms tomorrow, but tonight I'm just too tired. I'll be sleeping in the bedroom down the hall. You can wake me up for anything," he said, already walking down the hallway towards his room. Hermione knew he did not like being awoken, so she decided that, if she needed to wake someone up, it would be Harry.

"So…" Harry said. "Are you really tired?"

"Not really. I mean, I could sleep, but I'm not about to collapse."

"Yeah, same with me." Harry agreed. He sat down on his couch and patted the spot next to him. Hermione sat down there and rested her head on his chest. He put his arm around her and she felt herself relax into him like she had done so many times, so many years ago. She closed her eyes. Harry started rubbing her temples. She smiled.

"Thanks, that feels good," she murmured. Harry laughed.

"I always knew you could use a massage," he teased. She opened her eyes and pretended to slap him. He stood up stumbled around.

"Oh, I'm in agony! What did you do?" he moaned. She laughed.

"Well, Mr. Potter, I would recommend you not tease me any more," she retorted and, before he knew what was coming, she jumped on his back. He stumbled for real this time, and then regained his balance. He swung himself around, purposely making Hermione almost fall off. "Harry! Stop it!" she shrieked.

"What was that?" he said. Hermione could detect a laugh in his voice. "I could have sworn I heard something from up there." He looked up exaggeratedly and Hermione fell onto the couch, bringing Harry down with her. "Aaargh!" he yelled. She laughed and held onto his shirt as he struggled to stand up again. At last he gave up, and relaxed on top of her. She wriggled out from under him and he swung his legs onto the couch so he was lying down. She lay on the other couch and flopped from side to side.

"For an apartment so temperature-conscious, it sure is hot in here," she remarked. Harry laughed. She could tell he was tired, so, out of respect for his feelings, she kept the rest of her thoughts to herself as his breathing grew more and more rhythmic. She closed her eyes and willed herself to go to sleep. Unfortunately, sleep was a long way off. She turned on her side. The couch's springs poked into her. She tried to perform the spell that cushioned things. Her wand moved a bit by itself, side to side. She gasped and dropped it. It lay on the floor, solid and unmoving, as a wand should be. She picked it up and placed on the coffee table. _It's only my imagination_, she scolded herself, _I'm just tired. Wands don't move by themselves._ Soon she fell asleep and forgot all about it.

* * *

TGIF! And only three weeks until the HBP also.  
I realize that the plot is moving a little slowly, and I promise a more exciting chapter next time.  
Happy summer, and thanks for reading (and reviewing)!  
insanehpluver 


	9. Chapter 9 : Determined

Previously:

"_For an apartment so temperature-conscious, it sure it hot in here," she remarked. Harry laughed. She could tell he was tired, so, out of respect for his feelings, she kept the rest of her thoughts to herself as his breathing grew more and more rhythmic. She closed her eyes and willed herself to go to sleep. Unfortunately, sleep was a long way off. She turned on her side. The couch's springs poked into her. She tried to perform the spell that cushioned things. Her wand moved a bit by itself, side to side. She gasped and dropped it. It lay on the floor, solid and unmoving, as a wand should be. She picked it up and placed on the coffee table. _It's only my imagination_, she scolded herself, _I'm just tired. Wands don't move by themselves_. Soon she fell asleep and forgot all about it.

* * *

"Wake up, sleepy-head!" someone yelled and threw open the drapes, causing yellow beams to flit about the room. She groaned._

"No," she heard Harry moan, "S'not mornin' yet." She smiled into her pillow. She felt something sit on her. She lifted her head. It was Ron.

"Wake up, sleepy-head!" someone yelled and threw open the drapes, causing yellow beams to flit about the room. She groaned. 

"Hermione, help me wake up this lazy-butt," Ron commanded. Hermione giggled and pushed Ron off of her slim body. He jumped up and pulled Hermione up next to him. "On three, we both jump on him," Ron whispered. Hermione shook her head, having something more entertaining in mind. She put her finger to her lips and grabbed her wand. She whispered a spell to it, and it obeyed.

Water sprayed from the tip of her wand to Harry's half-asleep form. He shrieked and leapt up as if there was a pin stuck into him. His jet-black hair was plastered to his forehead, and Hermione could see through his shirt. _Oh, Merlin,_ Hermione thought, but her thought sped across her mind and darted out of sight before she could register it.

Harry mouthed wordlessly as he stared at his two best friends. One, who was bent double with laughter, and the other, who had her wand pointed to the wet spot where he had been sound asleep moments ago. Hermione saw his hand inch toward his wand. She didn't want to take any risks of being hexed into next Thursday—and there was no doubt in her mind that Harry could—so she raced out of the room; Ron on her tail, and Harry following closely behind.

He finally caught up to them in the kitchen. He reached toward Hermione and she felt her mind blank out. His hands went to her ribcage and, before she knew it, he was tickling her. Her breaths came short as she laughed and tried to shove him off.

"Ro-Ron!" she gasped. "Make him stop! Oh, Harry, stop! Please stop!" Ron merely searched the cabinets looking for something to eat as Harry continued to tickle her mercilessly.

"Oi, mate, there's some popcorn in here!" Ron yelled excitedly. Harry dropped Hermione and hurried over to the food.

"Boys," she muttered as she picked herself up from the brown linoleum floor.

After their rather unhealthy version of breakfast, Harry and Ron shouted something about Quidditch and abandoned her in Ron's apartment. Feeling a bit downcast, she wandered around, switching from the limited book supply in the apartment to the half-eaten ice cream in the freezer in record time. After that was all gone, she retreated to the couches to take a nap.

When Hermione woke up, feeling much better, she had opened her eyes blearily to the sight of her wand twitching again. She bolted upright and was about to step on it when she realized that it was moving clockwise, as if it was determined to point to a specific place. She waited for it to stop. When it finally shuddered to a halt, it was pointing to the couch Harry had slept on. Too curious to ignore it, she sat on the floor staring at the place the wand pointed to. Wonder shot through her, and she stuck her hand under the cushions. Her fingers, the nails partially covered with chipped silver polish, touched something stiff and not at all cushiony. She pulled it out. An old newspaper clipping!

Skimming the article, it was clear that it was from two years ago—when she had first moved to the small town of Cernere. She had been lonely without her best friends right by her all the time, and decided to take a break from the spotlight. There was an ad in the paper for a job there, and she took it immediately. Though she lived alone, the small pleasures in her life, like not having to wear sunglasses in public, made it bearable. Hogsmeade was close by, and friends were easy to come by in the carefree atmosphere of the Three Broomsticks.

Shaking her head, she returned to the issue at hand. An article from the year she had moved that was about…her move? _Boy-Who-Lived's Best Friend Leaves Spotlight, Saying "No More"_. What was this doing here? As she heard footsteps and laughter approaching the door, she shoved the article in her pocket and sat down with a random book from the coffee table.

The door burst open, and Ron fell inside with Harry close behind.

"Have you been _drinking_ again?" Hermione demanded from over the top of her book, which she belatedly realized was upside-down.

"No, I don't think so," Harry said absently, dragging Ron into his bedroom.

"Then what have you been up to?" she said, following him. She felt the old bossiness start its creep into her mood and attempted to shove it back down. She knew that Harry hated it.

"I dunno; he just flopped over on his broom. It's a miracle he was so close to the ground…" Harry looked at Hermione. She willed her knees to support her, but felt them wavering.

"Maybe," she squeaked. Drat. "Maybe," she said in her usual voice, "we should take him to St. Mungo's. I'd prefer Madam Pomfrey, of course, but she's probably busy as it's the school year." Harry seemed to consider this.

"Maybe," he said, with an odd touch to his voice. It wasn't until they had gotten home from the wizard hospital that Hermione realized what it had been: unease. This disturbed her, but not quite as much as Ron's condition. Why had he collapsed? Was he going to be all right?

"Harry?" she whispered late that night, when the moonbeams snuck through the sheer curtains and spread muted light around the room.

"Mm?" came the half-asleep answer.

"Do you know why there was an article about my move to Cernere under the couch cushions?"

"I have no idea," Harry responded patiently. Hermione sighed. Harry was always patient with her, even when he was exhausted beyond belief.

"Okay," she said quietly, almost to herself.

A week passed by, full of anxiety and tension. Finally, Hermione was able to talk to Ron again, and he confirmed that he did not know why that article was there.

"Could have been Mum; you know how she worries about you." Ron did supply that the couch was fairly new, a gift from Draco Malfoy as a means of appeasement. Apparently, if Ron didn't set Harry on Malfoy, Malfoy would leave Ginny alone and give Ron a free couch as well. Hermione sighed.

As the conversation turned to the Chudley Cannons' chances of winning, Hermione bid the boys goodbye and wandered off to the library. She planned to do some research on wand movements.

Two cappuccinos, five overlarge books, and a few hours later, Hermione had found her answer.

"_It is now common knowledge that wands choose the wizard, not the other way around, but it hasn't always been. When this astonishing concept was unearthed, Wizcoverers around the globe worked on the finer details of how this phenomenon occurs. Aurora Bacmire, world renowned Wizcoverer, first proposed the theory that wands have the intelligence of their should-be owners' previous lifeform. For instance, whichever wand chooses Nicolas Flamel's next lifeform, it will have his intelligence. Lucky owner! Of course, this argument raises many disputes over past and future lives, beliefs of which Ms. Bacmire refuses to comment upon. However, she did prove that wands move by themselves with the agility of someone closely linked by DNA with their owner. With this knowledge, she was able to hypothesize that wands can move by themselves in some situations in order to inform its owner of extremely crucial information. As of printing, her experiment involving numerous newts and many murtlaps is still in session."_

_Well_. That certainly answered her questions. This Aurora Bacmire seemed quite a character. _Determined._ Hermione had been that determined, once, to get Harry through the Final Battle alive. _Once,_ she sardonically told herself. The old pressures to be perfect were starting to resurface. _Once upon a bloody time.

* * *

_

Thank you for reading!  
I hope your summer isn't as boiling hot as mine is...  
See you next time,  
insanehpluver  



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